UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT FARMINGTON COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher’s Name: Miss Pulito Lesson #: 3 Facets: Application & Explanation Grade Level: 11-12 Numbers of Days: 5-7 Topic:Walden
PART I:
Objectives
Student will understand that Thoreau uses a wide range of rhetorical devices to help him convey his purpose for going to Walden Pond and writing Walden.
Student will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function.
Student will be able to show and cite examples rhetorical devices found in Walden. They will also be able to use a variety of rhetorical devices themselves in their own writing.
Products: Prezi and a persuasive essay written using Google Docs.
Maine Learning Results (MLR) or Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Alignment
Common Core State Standards Content Area: English Grade Level: 11-12 Domain: Reading Standards for Informational Texts 6-12 Cluster: Craft & Structure Standard: 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Rationale: In Lesson 3, students will use graphic organizers to help them keep track of the different rhetorical devices that they find in Walden. They will pay attention to how the devices function and the different kinds of purposes they serve within the text, and then incorporate some of these devices into their own persuasive pieces.
Assessments
Formative (Assessment for Learning) Section I – checking for understanding during instruction: The teacher will use oral questioning during instruction/class discussion, asking students to identify and explain the function of specific devices. Students will add to and comment on a class spreadsheet in which they make a collection of the devices they come across in the text.
Section II – timely feedback for products (self, peer, teacher): Students will provide oral feedback on each group’s Prezis and comment on each other’s persuasive pieces on Google Docs. The teacher will provide both written and oral feedback on the student’s Prezis and their persuasive pieces. Students will evaluate themselves and their group members (for the Prezi) using checklists.
Summative (Assessments of Learning):
Prezi (45pts): Working alone or in pairs, students will chose at least 5 rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet to elaborate on in a Prezi. The Prezi will include the type of device, at least one example of where it is found in the Walden and a description of how it functions in the text and how it may contribute to the text's power, persuasiveness, and/or beauty. Each student/pair will present their Prezi to the class.
Persuasive Written Piece (45pts): Each student will be required to write their own persuasive piece of 2-3 pages about a topic they are passionate about (topic examples/suggestions will be provided in class) in which they effectively incorporate at least 5 of the rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet. Students will be expected to share their writing through Google Docs with at least two other classmates so that they can provide comments/feedback on each other’s work.
Integration
Technology:
Google Docs: Students will add to and collaborate on a class-wide spreadsheet that organizes the different devices found in Thoreau’s writing. Students will also write their own persuasive pieces using Google Docs and be required to provide feedback on at least two of their classmates’ pieces using Google Docs (Augmentation).
Prezi: Students will work either alone or in pairs to create a Prezi that highlights at least 5 rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet (Modification).
Content Areas: Social Studies: As the lesson’s hook, students will analyze a series of Super Bowl ads to determine how they appeal to our society.
Groupings Section I - Graphic Organizer & Cooperative Learning used during instruction: Students will use word sorts of different rhetorical devices to help them organize and categorize them. They will then fill in a spreadsheet on Google Docs that further organizes the devices (which they all contribute to).
Section II – Groups and Roles for Product: Students will work in groups to complete the word sorts and will have the choice to work alone or in groups to create their Prezi.
Differentiated Instruction
MI Strategies
Verbal: Students will continue reading Walden, focusing on "Spring." Students will present their Prezis to the class and then write their own persuasive pieces using rhetoric.
Logic: Students will categorize rhetorical devices within the spreadsheet and determine which ones appear most often in Walden while contemplating what that may be.
Visual: Students will create a Prezi that explores 5 different rhetorical devices found in Walden.
Musical: Students may include songs in their Prezi presentations.
Kinesthestic: Students may include skits in their Prezi presentations in which they "act out" examples of rhetoric found in Walden.
Intrapersonal: Students will continue to work on their blogs in which they document their personal reflections on the text.
Interpersonal: Students will collaborate on the class spreadsheet and provide comments on each other's persuasive pieces. They will also have the option to work in groups to create Prezis.
Naturalist: Students will be exposed to Thoreau's observations of and discussions about nature within the context of Walden.
Modifications/Accommodations From IEP’s ( Individual Education Plan), 504’s, ELLIDEP (English Language Learning Instructional Delivery Education Plan) I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.
Plan for accommodating absent students: It is the student's responsibility to contact the teacher regarding their absence. If the absence is anticipated, the student should plan accordingly and meet with teacher ahead of time to go over what needs to be completed before they return to school. If the absence is unexpected, the student should (1) email the teacher and (2) meet with the teacher in person as soon as he or she is back in school. The teacher is willing to work with students to make sure that they stay up to date with assignments and will provide extensions as deemed fair and necessary. Students are responsible for getting notes from classmates and for checking the class Wiki upon being absent. The teacher understands that absences (preferably excused) are expected from time to time, but if unexcused absences become continuous and habitual the student will be expected to have a one-on-one meeting with the teacher.
Extensions
Type II technology: Students will create a Prezi (modification) and write a persuasive piece using Google Docs (augmentation).
Gifted Students: Gifted students will be asked to incorporate visual or auditory examples of the rhetorical devices that they include in their Prezi. They may also supplement their persuasive writing with images.
Materials, Resources and Technology
Copies of Walden
Handouts of lists of rhetorical devices (for student reference)
Notebooks
Pens/pencils
Laptops
Projector
Self and peer evaluation checklists/feedback sheets
Describe your classroom arrangement. The tables will be arranged in a horseshoe formation so that the students can see each other during discussion. Everyone will be able to see the board and projector. There will be designated quiet spaces for students to work individually when they need to or want to. The teacher's desk will be in a private corner, out of the way.
Agenda (include days and times) *Each class period is 80 minutes long
DAY 1:
Show YouTube video of the “Top Ten Best Super Bowl Ads” (10 mins).
Introduce the rhetorical triangle, using video to spark discussion (20 mins).
In groups, have students share what they highlighted on their rhetorical device handouts from Lesson 1 (10 mins).
Word Sort of rhetorical devices (25 mins).
Set up class-wide Google Docs spreadsheet and give a brief tutorial on how to use it/contribute to it (10 mins)
As a class, decide how to organize spreadsheet/categorize devices (10 mins).
Assignment: Read the first 1/3 of “Spring” and write a blog entry that discusses at least one rhetorical device from the reading, focusing on the purpose it serves and how it functions. Add chosen device to class spreadsheet.
DAY 2:
Discussion on previous night’s reading assignment (in groups then as a class) (30 mins).
Word Sort of rhetorical devices found in the reading (15 mins).
Class time to continue filling in spreadsheet, searching for devices to include from previous chapters (20 mins).
Introduce Prezi assignment and provide a brief tutorial of how to use Prezi (10 mins).
Determine groups for Prezi assignment (5 mins).
Assignments: Read the second 1/3 of “Spring” and write a blog entry. Continue to add devices to class spreadsheet.
DAY 3:
Discussion on previous night’s reading assignment (in groups then as a class) (20 mins).
Introduce assignment on writing a persuasive piece and incorporating rhetoric (15 mins).
Prezi groups will decide which 5 devices from the spreadsheet to focus on and put into their presentation (5 mins).
Class time to work on Prezis in groups (40 mins).
Assignments: Read the final 1/3 of “Spring.” Begin persuasive piece. Continue working on Prezi.
DAY 5:
Discussion on previous night’s reading assignment (in groups then as a class) (20 mins).
Class time to finish up Prezis and work on writing persuasive pieces (60 mins).
Assignments: Prepare to present Prezis and work on persuasive pieces.
DAY 6:
Prezi presentations (40 mins).
Class time to work on persuasive pieces (40 mins).
Assignment: Finish up persuasive piece.
DAY 7:
Finish up Prezi presentations (50 mins).
“Share” persuasive pieces on Google Docs and comment on at least 2 (30 mins).
Assignment: Make sure all work has been complete, including Prezi reflections, peer/self evals/feedback, and persuasive piece.
Teaching and Learning Sequence
Students will understand that Thoreau uses a wide range of rhetorical devices to help him convey his purpose for going to Walden Pond and writing Walden. It is important for students to be able to recognize and evaluate rhetoric because not only does it teach them to think critically and to write effectively and persuasively, it is prominent in our everyday lives (whether we realize it or not). This lesson will make students more aware of how rhetoric is used not only in writing but in society. Students will determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. As a hook for the lesson, students will watch a 10 minute YouTube video that shows and analyzes the “top ten” greatest Super Bowl commercials of all time. This video will introduce the general concept of rhetoric and its persuasive nature through a modern-day context. Students may also share commercials that they found particularly effective. Then, they will consider how rhetoric is important in written works (particularly persuasive pieces), such as Walden. Where, Why, What, Hook Tailors: Visual, Verbal/Linguistic, Naturalist, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal
Students will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function. Students will use a spreadsheet on Google Docs to help them organize and keep track of the different kinds of rhetorical devices that they come across while reading Walden. (They may use the handouts of rhetorical devices they were given at the start of the unit to help them name and identify different devices as they read.) The spreadsheet will be shared with each student in the class so that everyone is able to contribute to it. Students will also participate in two Word Sorts in which they sort the rhetorical devices they find into categories. (They may choose to transpose these categories onto the class spreadsheet.) Students will also continue writing blog entries and commenting on their Blog Buddies’ posts throughout this lesson, and will continue to participate in discussions about the text at the start of class each day using
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. During the learning process, the teacher will use oral questioning to ensure that students are understanding content and that discussions are productive. Students will be able to add to and comment on the class spreadsheet, allowing them to collaborate and rethink their ideas/understandings as necessary.
Students will be able to show and cite examples rhetorical devices found in Walden. They will also be able to use a variety of rhetorical devices themselves in their own writing. Students will have the choice of working alone or in groups of 2-3 to create a Prezi in which they focus on 5 different devices from the list, providing a definition, example of, and visual or auditory element that describes each one. They will present their Prezi to the class on the final two days of the lesson and receive both oral and written feedback from their peers, as well as complete a team evaluation form. The teacher will provide written and oral feedback on their Prezis. Students will also be writing their own persuasive pieces in which they will be required to effectively incorporate at least 5 rhetorical devices. Students will assess their own writing using a checklist and will receive feedback from at least two of their classmates (each student will be responsible for commenting on at least two of their peer’s pieces through Google Docs). The teacher will provide each student with written feedback on their persuasive piece and students may revise/refine their work as necessary. The teacher will provide tutorials on both Prezi and Google Docs before students begin their projects. Experience, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Verbal/Linguistic, Visual, Logic, Musical
The teacher will provide brief oral feedback after each group presents their Prezi, but also fill out a feedback/score sheet during the presentation that she will give each group after all presentations have been completed. The teacher will provide written feedback one each student’s persuasive piece through email and will set up conferences with students as needed. All products will be scored based on checklists that the students will also use to evaluate themselves and their peers. The checklists will include items such as: amount of rhetorical devices used, accuracy and effectiveness of rhetorical devices, proper citations, and inclusion of visual/auditory elements (when required). This lesson connects to future lessons/assessments because it will prepare students to use rhetoric effectively in their own writing and help them to analyze Thoreau’s writing even deeper.
Students will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function.
Sub Notes:
In order to teach this lesson, you will need a general understanding of who Thoreau was and what Transcendentalism was. Here is a link that provides a brief biography of Henry David Thoreau:http://www.biography.com/people/henry-david-thoreau-9506784. Here is a link that describes the basics of transcendentalism: http://www.ushistory.org/us/26f.asp. If you have never read Walden yourself, here is a SparkNotes version of the book that includes chapter summaries, analyses, and common themes/motifs. Reading through the SparkNotes version will help you to guide discussions and to help you understand where the students are headed: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/walden/. Here is a link to a website that includes annotations alongside Thoreau’s writing (and may help you understand how and where rhetoric is used in the text): http://www.phred.org/~alex/kenkifer/www.kenkifer.com/Thoreau/index.htm.
Throughout this lesson, students will be reading that chapter titled “Spring,” but also reverting back to the previous two chapters they have read and taking a closer look at the rhetoric. “Spring” contains a lot of rich examples of rhetoric, but I want them thinking about how rhetoric is used throughout the book as a whole.
Each class will begin with one or more discussions about the assigned reading from the previous night (these discussions may or may not focus on rhetoric; students should also be thinking about major themes and Thoreau’s purpose). Before holding a class discussion, students should first meet either in pairs or small groups for 5-10 minutes to “warm up” and share their insights to the text. This way students will have a chance to organize their thoughts before the class-wide discussion in more comfortable setting (thus making the class-wide discussion more effective). Discussions on the text should be mostly student-led with the teacher listening attentively (checking for their understanding) and occasionally guiding/facilitating (when students get off topic or if the discussion is withering) to ensure that all important points are covered. Here is a list of discussion questions/topics for “Spring”:
How does this chapter read like a nature journal? What purpose does this style serve?
Explain the significance of experimenting to Thoreau.
What is the “phenomena” that Thoreau writes about?
What function does italicizing certain words serve?
Describe Thoreau’s language throughout the chapter.
Discuss the connection between science, art, and religion that Thoreau alludes to.
What is the function of including root words?
Discuss the significance of the passage of time within the chapter.
When creating discussion groups, make sure they are randomized so that students are exposed to different ideas each day. Here is a link that provides ideas for randomizing student groups: http://www.teachhub.com/30-ways-arrange-students-group-work. Students should be able to choose their Prezi groups, but if this becomes a problem, you may want to assign them yourself using one of these strategies. Students also have the option of working alone for the Prezis.
Lastly, because the major focus of this lesson is on Thoreau’s use of rhetoric, here are some resources to help you understand the different rhetorical devices that the students may be including in the class spreadsheet, in their Prezis, and in their own persuasive writing. The students have these resources themselves.
Students will have a lot of class time to work on the major assignments of this lesson (their Prezis and their persuasive writing), so it is important to make sure that they use it resourcefully, asking questions as they work.
Handouts
Lists of rhetorical devices (students should have received these in Lesson 1 to have as references)
Packet on the Rhetorical Triangle (ethos, pathos, logos)
Self and peer evaluation forms/checklists for Prezi groups and persuasive piece
Maine Common Core Teaching Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale
Standard 1 – Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Learning Styles
Clipboard: Students will be provided with a syllabus that outlines course/unit expectations and assignments. Students will be provided with clear directions and dates regarding assignments. They will also use a spreadsheet to help them categorize and organize the rhetorical devices they find in Walden.
Microscope: Students will pay close attention to both the content and language of Walden, analyzing how both elements contribute to the overall meaning of the text. They will be asked to do “close readings” in which they examine very small portions of the text, sometimes only focusing on single words or sentences at a time, then discussing how those smaller elements contribute to the “big picture” or major themes of the text. This lesson on rhetoric will provide them with even more opportunities to focus on smaller, more specific elements of the text while thinking logically about how they function.
Puppy: Students will work in pairs or in small groups before being asked to participate in class-wide discussions. This will give them the opportunity to share their thoughts in a “less intimidating” situation before opening up to the entire class. Students will also work in small groups when making their podcasts, and the teacher will circulate the room while students are working to answer questions and provide feedback as well as positive reinforcement. The teacher will “check in” with students regularly throughout the unit, both through email and in person, recognizing that some students may need extra support.
Beach Ball: Students will have opportunities to focus on whichever passages/portions of the text they feel are most interesting and significant. Walden is a complex piece of literature that appeals to many on the individual level, as it honors and promotes independent thinking and autonomy. In this particular lesson, students will be able to choose which devices they focus on in their Prezi and will also be able to choose their topic for their persuasive pieces.
Rationale: Not all students learn in the same way, and that’s part of what makes a classroom such a creative, inspiring place! No student should feel forced to learn in a way that is not conducive to their needs or personality, which is why this unit is designed in a way that leaves room for all learning styles to be practiced.
Standard 6 -Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their on growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and learner's decision making.
Formative: Daily in-class discussions will act as formative assessments for this lesson, as well as the continuation of the students’ blog posts and their contribution to the class-wide spreadsheet.
Summative: Students will create a Prezi that focuses on at least 5 of the rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet and present it to the class. They will also write their own persuasive piece of 2-3 pages using Google Docs so that they can receive feedback from their peers. They will be required to use at least 6 different rhetorical devices in their persuasive piece.
Rationale: This lesson will provide students with the knowledge and understanding of the purpose and functionality of different kinds of rhetoric. The formative assessments will be used to familiarize students with rhetoric, while the summative assessments will require them to explain and apply what they have learned throughout the lesson and formative assessments.
Standard 7 - Planning Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Content Knowledge: (see content notes)
MLR or CCSS: Common Core State Standards Content Area: English Grade Level: 11-12 Domain: Reading Standards for Informational Texts 6-12 Cluster: Craft & Structure Standard: 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Facet: Application and Explanation
Standard 8 -Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
MI Strategies:
Verbal: Students will continue reading Walden, focusing on "Spring." Students will present their Prezis to the class and then write their own persuasive pieces using rhetoric.
Logic: Students will categorize rhetorical devices within the spreadsheet and determine which ones appear most often in Walden while contemplating what that may be.
Visual: Students will create a Prezi that explores 5 different rhetorical devices found in Walden.
Musical: Students may include songs in their Prezi presentations.
Kinesthestic: Students may include skits in their Prezi presentations in which they "act out" examples of rhetoric found in Walden.
Intrapersonal: Students will continue to work on their blogs in which they document their personal reflections on the text.
Interpersonal: Students will collaborate on the class spreadsheet and provide comments on each other's persuasive pieces. They will also have the option to work in groups to create Prezis.
Naturalist: Students will be exposed to Thoreau's observations of and discussions about nature within the context of Walden.
SAMR: Students will contribute to a class spreadsheet on Google Docs (Augmentation), create a Prezi (Modification), and write a persuasive piece on Google Docs (Augmentation). They will also continue writing blog posts using Blogger (Augmentation).
Rationale: The use of Google Docs (for both the spreadsheet and their persuasive writing) will allow students to collaborate and provide feedback. The use of Prezi will allow students to define and provide examples of different rhetorical devices while using multimedia elements to enhance their presentation.
NETS STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
1.Facilitates and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity. Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments.
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
Rationale: 1c. The class-wide spreadsheet will allow students to collaborate while revealing and building upon their knowledge and understanding of rhetorical devices. By using Google Docs to write their persuasive pieces, students will be able to receive direct feedback from their peers, aiding them in reflecting upon their creative (writing) process.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Rationale: 2d. This lesson includes a variety of both formative and summative assessments sothat students have multiple ways and opportunities to show their understanding of rhetoric and their mastery of the standard.
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION, HEALTH AND REHABILITATION
LESSON PLAN FORMAT
Teacher’s Name: Miss Pulito Lesson #: 3 Facets: Application & Explanation
Grade Level: 11-12 Numbers of Days: 5-7
Topic:Walden
PART I:
Objectives
Student will understand that Thoreau uses a wide range of rhetorical devices to help him convey his purpose for going to Walden Pond and writing Walden.
Student will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function.
Student will be able to show and cite examples rhetorical devices found in Walden. They will also be able to use a variety of rhetorical devices themselves in their own writing.
Products: Prezi and a persuasive essay written using Google Docs.
Maine Learning Results (MLR) or Common Core State Standards (CCSS) Alignment
Common Core State Standards
Content Area: English
Grade Level: 11-12
Domain: Reading Standards for Informational Texts 6-12
Cluster: Craft & Structure
Standard: 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Rationale: In Lesson 3, students will use graphic organizers to help them keep track of the different rhetorical devices that they find in Walden. They will pay attention to how the devices function and the different kinds of purposes they serve within the text, and then incorporate some of these devices into their own persuasive pieces.
Assessments
Formative (Assessment for Learning)
Section I – checking for understanding during instruction: The teacher will use oral questioning during instruction/class discussion, asking students to identify and explain the function of specific devices. Students will add to and comment on a class spreadsheet in which they make a collection of the devices they come across in the text.
Section II – timely feedback for products (self, peer, teacher): Students will provide oral feedback on each group’s Prezis and comment on each other’s persuasive pieces on Google Docs. The teacher will provide both written and oral feedback on the student’s Prezis and their persuasive pieces. Students will evaluate themselves and their group members (for the Prezi) using checklists.
Summative (Assessments of Learning):
Prezi (45pts): Working alone or in pairs, students will chose at least 5 rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet to elaborate on in a Prezi. The Prezi will include the type of device, at least one example of where it is found in the Walden and a description of how it functions in the text and how it may contribute to the text's power, persuasiveness, and/or beauty. Each student/pair will present their Prezi to the class.
Persuasive Written Piece (45pts): Each student will be required to write their own persuasive piece of 2-3 pages about a topic they are passionate about (topic examples/suggestions will be provided in class) in which they effectively incorporate at least 5 of the rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet. Students will be expected to share their writing through Google Docs with at least two other classmates so that they can provide comments/feedback on each other’s work.
Integration
Technology:
Content Areas: Social Studies: As the lesson’s hook, students will analyze a series of Super Bowl ads to determine how they appeal to our society.
Groupings
Section I - Graphic Organizer & Cooperative Learning used during instruction: Students will use word sorts of different rhetorical devices to help them organize and categorize them. They will then fill in a spreadsheet on Google Docs that further organizes the devices (which they all contribute to).
Section II – Groups and Roles for Product: Students will work in groups to complete the word sorts and will have the choice to work alone or in groups to create their Prezi.
Differentiated Instruction
MI Strategies
Verbal: Students will continue reading Walden, focusing on "Spring." Students will present their Prezis to the class and then write their own persuasive pieces using rhetoric.
Logic: Students will categorize rhetorical devices within the spreadsheet and determine which ones appear most often in Walden while contemplating what that may be.
Visual: Students will create a Prezi that explores 5 different rhetorical devices found in Walden.
Musical: Students may include songs in their Prezi presentations.
Kinesthestic: Students may include skits in their Prezi presentations in which they "act out" examples of rhetoric found in Walden.
Intrapersonal: Students will continue to work on their blogs in which they document their personal reflections on the text.
Interpersonal: Students will collaborate on the class spreadsheet and provide comments on each other's persuasive pieces. They will also have the option to work in groups to create Prezis.
Naturalist: Students will be exposed to Thoreau's observations of and discussions about nature within the context of Walden.
Modifications/Accommodations
From IEP’s ( Individual Education Plan), 504’s, ELLIDEP (English Language Learning Instructional Delivery Education Plan) I will review student’s IEP, 504 or ELLIDEP and make appropriate modifications and accommodations.
Plan for accommodating absent students: It is the student's responsibility to contact the teacher regarding their absence. If the absence is anticipated, the student should plan accordingly and meet with teacher ahead of time to go over what needs to be completed before they return to school. If the absence is unexpected, the student should (1) email the teacher and (2) meet with the teacher in person as soon as he or she is back in school. The teacher is willing to work with students to make sure that they stay up to date with assignments and will provide extensions as deemed fair and necessary. Students are responsible for getting notes from classmates and for checking the class Wiki upon being absent. The teacher understands that absences (preferably excused) are expected from time to time, but if unexcused absences become continuous and habitual the student will be expected to have a one-on-one meeting with the teacher.
Extensions
Type II technology: Students will create a Prezi (modification) and write a persuasive piece using Google Docs (augmentation).
Gifted Students: Gifted students will be asked to incorporate visual or auditory examples of the rhetorical devices that they include in their Prezi. They may also supplement their persuasive writing with images.
Materials, Resources and Technology
Source for Lesson Plan and Research
https://hhs-english-iv.wikispaces.com/file/view/Rhetorical%20Devices.pdf
PART II:
Teaching and Learning Sequence
Describe your classroom arrangement.
The tables will be arranged in a horseshoe formation so that the students can see each other during discussion. Everyone will be able to see the board and projector. There will be designated quiet spaces for students to work individually when they need to or want to. The teacher's desk will be in a private corner, out of the way.
Agenda (include days and times)
*Each class period is 80 minutes long
DAY 1:
DAY 2:
DAY 3:
DAY 5:
DAY 6:
DAY 7:
Teaching and Learning Sequence
Students will understand that Thoreau uses a wide range of rhetorical devices to help him convey his purpose for going to Walden Pond and writing Walden. It is important for students to be able to recognize and evaluate rhetoric because not only does it teach them to think critically and to write effectively and persuasively, it is prominent in our everyday lives (whether we realize it or not). This lesson will make students more aware of how rhetoric is used not only in writing but in society. Students will determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text. As a hook for the lesson, students will watch a 10 minute YouTube video that shows and analyzes the “top ten” greatest Super Bowl commercials of all time. This video will introduce the general concept of rhetoric and its persuasive nature through a modern-day context. Students may also share commercials that they found particularly effective. Then, they will consider how rhetoric is important in written works (particularly persuasive pieces), such as Walden.
Where, Why, What, Hook Tailors: Visual, Verbal/Linguistic, Naturalist, Intrapersonal, Interpersonal
Students will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function. Students will use a spreadsheet on Google Docs to help them organize and keep track of the different kinds of rhetorical devices that they come across while reading Walden. (They may use the handouts of rhetorical devices they were given at the start of the unit to help them name and identify different devices as they read.) The spreadsheet will be shared with each student in the class so that everyone is able to contribute to it. Students will also participate in two Word Sorts in which they sort the rhetorical devices they find into categories. (They may choose to transpose these categories onto the class spreadsheet.) Students will also continue writing blog entries and commenting on their Blog Buddies’ posts throughout this lesson, and will continue to participate in discussions about the text at the start of class each day using
Equip, Explore, Rethink, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Verbal/Linguistic, Visual, Logic
Students will be able to show and cite examples rhetorical devices found in Walden. They will also be able to use a variety of rhetorical devices themselves in their own writing. Students will have the choice of working alone or in groups of 2-3 to create a Prezi in which they focus on 5 different devices from the list, providing a definition, example of, and visual or auditory element that describes each one. They will present their Prezi to the class on the final two days of the lesson and receive both oral and written feedback from their peers, as well as complete a team evaluation form. The teacher will provide written and oral feedback on their Prezis. Students will also be writing their own persuasive pieces in which they will be required to effectively incorporate at least 5 rhetorical devices. Students will assess their own writing using a checklist and will receive feedback from at least two of their classmates (each student will be responsible for commenting on at least two of their peer’s pieces through Google Docs). The teacher will provide each student with written feedback on their persuasive piece and students may revise/refine their work as necessary. The teacher will provide tutorials on both Prezi and Google Docs before students begin their projects.
Experience, Revise, Refine, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalist, Verbal/Linguistic, Visual, Logic, Musical
The teacher will provide brief oral feedback after each group presents their Prezi, but also fill out a feedback/score sheet during the presentation that she will give each group after all presentations have been completed. The teacher will provide written feedback one each student’s persuasive piece through email and will set up conferences with students as needed. All products will be scored based on checklists that the students will also use to evaluate themselves and their peers. The checklists will include items such as: amount of rhetorical devices used, accuracy and effectiveness of rhetorical devices, proper citations, and inclusion of visual/auditory elements (when required). This lesson connects to future lessons/assessments because it will prepare students to use rhetoric effectively in their own writing and help them to analyze Thoreau’s writing even deeper.
Evaluate, Tailors: Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Verbal/Linguistic
Content Notes
Students will know the rhetorical devices that Thoreau uses (such as ethos, logos, pathos, imagery, tone, voice, ambiguities, analogies, allegories, allusions, contradictions, irony, paradoxes, parallelism, etc.) and how they function.
Sub Notes:
In order to teach this lesson, you will need a general understanding of who Thoreau was and what Transcendentalism was. Here is a link that provides a brief biography of Henry David Thoreau:http://www.biography.com/people/henry-david-thoreau-9506784. Here is a link that describes the basics of transcendentalism: http://www.ushistory.org/us/26f.asp.
If you have never read Walden yourself, here is a SparkNotes version of the book that includes chapter summaries, analyses, and common themes/motifs. Reading through the SparkNotes version will help you to guide discussions and to help you understand where the students are headed: http://www.sparknotes.com/lit/walden/. Here is a link to a website that includes annotations alongside Thoreau’s writing (and may help you understand how and where rhetoric is used in the text): http://www.phred.org/~alex/kenkifer/www.kenkifer.com/Thoreau/index.htm.
Throughout this lesson, students will be reading that chapter titled “Spring,” but also reverting back to the previous two chapters they have read and taking a closer look at the rhetoric. “Spring” contains a lot of rich examples of rhetoric, but I want them thinking about how rhetoric is used throughout the book as a whole.
Each class will begin with one or more discussions about the assigned reading from the previous night (these discussions may or may not focus on rhetoric; students should also be thinking about major themes and Thoreau’s purpose). Before holding a class discussion, students should first meet either in pairs or small groups for 5-10 minutes to “warm up” and share their insights to the text. This way students will have a chance to organize their thoughts before the class-wide discussion in more comfortable setting (thus making the class-wide discussion more effective). Discussions on the text should be mostly student-led with the teacher listening attentively (checking for their understanding) and occasionally guiding/facilitating (when students get off topic or if the discussion is withering) to ensure that all important points are covered. Here is a list of discussion questions/topics for “Spring”:
When creating discussion groups, make sure they are randomized so that students are exposed to different ideas each day. Here is a link that provides ideas for randomizing student groups: http://www.teachhub.com/30-ways-arrange-students-group-work. Students should be able to choose their Prezi groups, but if this becomes a problem, you may want to assign them yourself using one of these strategies. Students also have the option of working alone for the Prezis.
Here is a link to a tutorial on how to use Prezi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArGh6FurR0Q. Students will need to go to Prezi.com to begin designing their own.
Lastly, because the major focus of this lesson is on Thoreau’s use of rhetoric, here are some resources to help you understand the different rhetorical devices that the students may be including in the class spreadsheet, in their Prezis, and in their own persuasive writing. The students have these resources themselves.
https://hhs-english-iv.wikispaces.com/file/view/Rhetorical%20Devices.pdf
Students will have a lot of class time to work on the major assignments of this lesson (their Prezis and their persuasive writing), so it is important to make sure that they use it resourcefully, asking questions as they work.
Handouts
Maine Common Core Teaching Standards for Initial Teacher Certification and Rationale
Standard 1 – Learner Development. The teacher understands how learners grow and develop, recognizing that patterns of learning and development vary individually within and across the cognitive, linguistic, social, emotional, and physical areas, and designs and implements developmentally appropriate and challenging learning experiences.
Learning Styles
Clipboard: Students will be provided with a syllabus that outlines course/unit expectations and assignments. Students will be provided with clear directions and dates regarding assignments. They will also use a spreadsheet to help them categorize and organize the rhetorical devices they find in Walden.
Microscope: Students will pay close attention to both the content and language of Walden, analyzing how both elements contribute to the overall meaning of the text. They will be asked to do “close readings” in which they examine very small portions of the text, sometimes only focusing on single words or sentences at a time, then discussing how those smaller elements contribute to the “big picture” or major themes of the text. This lesson on rhetoric will provide them with even more opportunities to focus on smaller, more specific elements of the text while thinking logically about how they function.
Puppy: Students will work in pairs or in small groups before being asked to participate in class-wide discussions. This will give them the opportunity to share their thoughts in a “less intimidating” situation before opening up to the entire class. Students will also work in small groups when making their podcasts, and the teacher will circulate the room while students are working to answer questions and provide feedback as well as positive reinforcement. The teacher will “check in” with students regularly throughout the unit, both through email and in person, recognizing that some students may need extra support.
Beach Ball: Students will have opportunities to focus on whichever passages/portions of the text they feel are most interesting and significant. Walden is a complex piece of literature that appeals to many on the individual level, as it honors and promotes independent thinking and autonomy. In this particular lesson, students will be able to choose which devices they focus on in their Prezi and will also be able to choose their topic for their persuasive pieces.
Rationale: Not all students learn in the same way, and that’s part of what makes a classroom such a creative, inspiring place! No student should feel forced to learn in a way that is not conducive to their needs or personality, which is why this unit is designed in a way that leaves room for all learning styles to be practiced.
Standard 6 - Assessment. The teacher understands and uses multiple methods of assessment to engage learners in their on growth, to monitor learner progress, and to guide the teacher's and learner's decision making.
Formative: Daily in-class discussions will act as formative assessments for this lesson, as well as the continuation of the students’ blog posts and their contribution to the class-wide spreadsheet.
Summative: Students will create a Prezi that focuses on at least 5 of the rhetorical devices from the class spreadsheet and present it to the class. They will also write their own persuasive piece of 2-3 pages using Google Docs so that they can receive feedback from their peers. They will be required to use at least 6 different rhetorical devices in their persuasive piece.
Rationale: This lesson will provide students with the knowledge and understanding of the purpose and functionality of different kinds of rhetoric. The formative assessments will be used to familiarize students with rhetoric, while the summative assessments will require them to explain and apply what they have learned throughout the lesson and formative assessments.
Standard 7 - Planning Instruction. The teacher plans instruction that supports every student in meeting rigorous learning goals by drawing upon knowledge of content areas, curriculum, cross-disciplinary skills, and pedagogy, as well as knowledge of learners and the community context.
Content Knowledge: (see content notes)
MLR or CCSS:
Common Core State Standards
Content Area: English
Grade Level: 11-12
Domain: Reading Standards for Informational Texts 6-12
Cluster: Craft & Structure
Standard: 6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text in which the rhetoric is particularly effective, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.
Facet: Application and Explanation
Standard 8 - Instructional Strategies. The teacher understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage learners to develop deep understanding of content areas and their connections, and to build skills to apply knowledge in meaningful ways.
MI Strategies:
Verbal: Students will continue reading Walden, focusing on "Spring." Students will present their Prezis to the class and then write their own persuasive pieces using rhetoric.
Logic: Students will categorize rhetorical devices within the spreadsheet and determine which ones appear most often in Walden while contemplating what that may be.
Visual: Students will create a Prezi that explores 5 different rhetorical devices found in Walden.
Musical: Students may include songs in their Prezi presentations.
Kinesthestic: Students may include skits in their Prezi presentations in which they "act out" examples of rhetoric found in Walden.
Intrapersonal: Students will continue to work on their blogs in which they document their personal reflections on the text.
Interpersonal: Students will collaborate on the class spreadsheet and provide comments on each other's persuasive pieces. They will also have the option to work in groups to create Prezis.
Naturalist: Students will be exposed to Thoreau's observations of and discussions about nature within the context of Walden.
SAMR: Students will contribute to a class spreadsheet on Google Docs (Augmentation), create a Prezi (Modification), and write a persuasive piece on Google Docs (Augmentation). They will also continue writing blog posts using Blogger (Augmentation).
Rationale: The use of Google Docs (for both the spreadsheet and their persuasive writing) will allow students to collaborate and provide feedback. The use of Prezi will allow students to define and provide examples of different rhetorical devices while using multimedia elements to enhance their presentation.
NETS STANDARDS FOR TEACHERS
a. Promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness
b. Engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources
c. Promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes
d. Model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments
Rationale: 1c. The class-wide spreadsheet will allow students to collaborate while revealing and building upon their knowledge and understanding of rhetorical devices. By using Google Docs to write their persuasive pieces, students will be able to receive direct feedback from their peers, aiding them in reflecting upon their creative (writing) process.
2. Design and Develop Digital Age Learning Experiences and Assessments. Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessment incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS-S.
a. Design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity
b. Develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress
c. Customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources
d. Provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching
Rationale: 2d. This lesson includes a variety of both formative and summative assessments sothat students have multiple ways and opportunities to show their understanding of rhetoric and their mastery of the standard.